Pages

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

The Ogglies Go
to School
by Erhard Dietl (Starfish Bay Children’s Books)

HB
RRP $25.99

ISBN
9780994100719

PB
RRP $14.99

ISBN
9780994100214

Reviewed
by Leigh Roswen

The
Ogglies Go to School is the second title in the Oggly series created by author/illustrator
Erhard Dietl. The Ogglies are green creatures with big noses, horns and
super-strength. The Oggly family live in a rubbish tip and love everything
dirty and stinky. One day Oggly-Grandma takes the Oggly twins to school on
their dragon, Firebottom (complete with rear-end exhaust pipe). When the human
teacher is called away Oggly-Grandma is left to look after all the children.
What ensues is a wonderful day of mud and mayhem. But how will the children
clean up before Mrs Lucy returns? The Mud-Puddle Song forms part of the text
and the music score is included on the last page.

The
Ogglies Go to School is a quarto-sized book. On every
large spread there are busy colourful cartoon-like illustrations. When children
have looked at all the school-children and quirky Ogglies themselves there are
still more creatures in the background to discover.

It
is a little difficult to put an age-range to this story. The text itself is
quite lengthy (over a thousand words) hence would suit an older independent readership
of age 7-10. Also there is occasional bottom humour that this age range seems
to love. However, younger children (aged 4-6) being read to by a willing and
time-enabled adult will enjoy the funny pictures, and the setting which is more
like a pre-school than a school.

The
Ogglies are bound to become favourite characters. They are weird-looking but
lovable, family-orientated but chaotic, fun-loving and happy. The Ogglies Go to
School is a scrumptiously rebellious tale and an antidote to notions of
cotton-woolling, over-scheduling and vanity.

Alice is a bold girl with a curious
nature. Intrigued by a white rabbit with a pocket watch, she follows him down
his rabbit hole and finds herself in a magical land full of strange and
wonderful creatures.

This modern retelling of Alice in
Wonderland pares back the story into a simplified version appropriate to a
picture book format. It captures Alice’s mood of careless casualness
beautifully.

‘Alice
was sitting by the river having an oh-so-ordinary afternoon, when a White
Rabbit ran by.’

Rather than attempt to tell the whole
story, we are given a slice of Alice’s adventures to follow. We meet the
increasingly, urgently late White Rabbit, the Dodo, Mouse, Bill the Lizard and
the blue caterpillar sitting on a giant mushroom. But no Cheshire Cat, Mad
Hatter, or Queen and cards. Perhaps there are more books to come.

The vibrant, bold, luminescent and curious illustrations match the zany
storyline well. The glossy pages glow with colour. Wide-eyed Alice is
surrounded by, not only the creatures mentioned in the text, but also weird and
wonderful insects, birds, monkeys. The strange environment of Wonderland is
subtle, but if you pay close attention you can make out the faces in the trees
and clouds, the appearance of a seal in the island in the lake of tears, and
the carrot forest.

As in all good picture books, the text
changes in font and size, becoming part of the page layout, emphasising the
reading of certain words.

Alice
in Wonderland is a literary classic. Read and
loved over the years by countless children and adults, this fun version is the
150th anniversary edition. Join Alice in her own bizarre world where
she shrinks, grows and explores the wonders of an afternoon which turns out to
be ‘not ordinary at all’.

Monday, 28 September 2015

Aaron Blabey is back. And this time he
has created a junior chapter book/graphic novel which should be read by
everyone between the ages of seven and ninety.

Mr
Wolf is sick of being seen as the bad guy. So, along with his somewhat
reluctant friends Mr Shark, Mr Snake and Mr Piranha, he sets out to prove to
the world that he is a nice guy. And the best place to start is with rescuing a
cat. But what if the cat does not want to be rescued by a gang of nice guys with really big teeth who
surround the base of the tree? And can they survive Mr Piranha’s constantly bad
gas? Can Mr Snake stop swallowing the wrong things? What did happen to Mr
Shark’s hat? Are these characters really capable of being nice guys? This first
episode of The Bad Guys answers most
of these questions and many more in a laugh-aloud roller coaster adventure.

Chapter headings such as Cruising for Trouble set the tone for
each chapter well, and the text and pictures work hand in hand to create the
humour and characters of the story. The humour is dry and sarcastic and the
four bad guys have very distinctive, individual personalities. The
illustrations of the laid-back shark, a somewhat sly snake and an often car-sick
piranha are fabulous. Mr Wolf experiences so many emotions throughout –
frustration being a top contender - which are all depicted with a variety of
facial expressions that will have the reader in stitches.

I really enjoyed this book. I laughed
aloud so often that my family kept asking me what I was reading. Then they devoured
it themselves when it was their turn. I hope the next instalment is out soon.

Sunday, 27 September 2015

The cover of this picture
book for readers aged 6+ years is gloomy, and like the dog depicted, it looks
sad. An unwanted Christmas present, the nameless dog is looked after
competently by an elderly couple, but they don’t really care about it. They are
so disinterested in the dog that when they move house, they dump poor Sad.

Happily, life is not always
gloom and sadness; there is always hope. And, into the neglected dog’s life
comes a new chance at happiness in the shape of a small boy. Jack cares for his
new, adopted pet in the way any pet ought to be cared for and by the end of
this story this now lucky dog Sad has a new name.

The author, Sandy Fussell,
is well-known for her immensely popular Samurai Kids junior novel series, and
other prize-winning novels; this is her first picture book. It’s sure to be a
winner. The story is told in clear, simple words that are wonderful for reading
aloud, especially by a parent to a child; the watercolour illustrations
perfectly match the tone of the story.

Offering hope to anyone is
probably the best gift anyone can give another, and this book certainly offers
a loveless dog much hope by story’s end.

Saturday, 26 September 2015

It is difficult for anyone
who is passionate about succeeding but who does not have natural talent. This
is the dilemma that ultimately faces Chelsea, the hardest worker in her
gymnastics club, who aspires to making the National team and then, hopefully, the
Olympics. Chelsea is obsessed with her sport and practices endlessly, often
neglecting her relationships, especially with her school friends Rosie and
Gemma, both musically inclined. She feels confident of achieving her goal until
a new girl joins her squad.

Almost immediately Chelsea
sees that Telia, despite not being as technically perfect as she is at first,
has more natural talent. Before long Telia overcomes initial problems and
succeeds in a way that has Chelsea convinced she never can: Telia even completes
a full straight-body somersault, something that Chelsea with all her
determination and practice has never been able to do. Chelsea continues to
strive but she is conflicted, trying to distance herself from Telia who is
friendly and seemingly not as committed as she is.

Anyone who is obsessed about success, in whatever field, can surely understand
Chelsea’s jealousy of the gifted newcomer and her frustration at not being able
to make the cut. She loves her sport and is willing to do what it takes, but
all her work seems to be for nothing when Telia is selected instead of her for
the Nationals. Hard work is not enough is the message: one needs the x factor
that Telia naturally has.

Should Chelsea continue
with her gymnastic career, or give up? In the end, she learns that part of
growing up is learning how to accept what gifts one has and to manage the gap
between what she wants and what life has on offer.

This novel, aimed at girl
readers aged 10 years and up, is very focused on the skills and practices of
gymnastics. It would mostly interest any reader with an interest in
the sport or one who aspires to being top of her field.

Friday, 25 September 2015

Teacup
is a beautiful story. It is soft and gentle, with words which
almost fade off the pages, yet it tells an enormous story about being
displaced, about isolation and about finding a new home.

A young boy sets off in a boat with
almost no possessions to find a new place to live. On his journey he watches
the waves, the clouds, the stars and the sea creature, all reminding him of
what he has left behind.

The illustrations are stunning. They
range from grand to simple and use great contrasts in dark and light to create
an emotional reaction. They capture isolation, longing and change so well.

The words, also, make this an evocative
and beautiful reading experience.

‘And
the way the clouds slowly swam into view reminded him of how things can change
with a whisper.’

The peaceful air of dreamy contemplation
– along with the tree growing in a teacup – make me think of Michael Leunig's work, subtly exploring what it means to be a refugee.

From the wonderful front cover, to the
soft and ‘barely there’ end papers, this is a visually appealing picture book.
And with many layers to the tale it tells, this is a rich, subtle, satisfying
story infused with great hope.

Thursday, 24 September 2015

It is the late 1960’s and young Davey
Walker can see change happening everywhere. He is starting high school, his
brother Tom has been drafted to fight in Vietnam and his mother is acting a
little strange. But the surf is still great, and so with his new surfboard, his
two best mates, and plenty of new pop songs to sing on the way, Davey spends as
much time as possible biking to and from the surf beach.

Vietnam
is the fictional diary kept by thirteen
year old Davey between September 1968 and January 1970. It is not a story about
the Vietnam War, although letters home from Tom with brief descriptions of the
war are included in the pages, but rather a picture of Australian culture
during this time. And this was a time of social change, anti-war protests,
surf-culture, space exploration and music.

I particularly loved the record Davey
kept of the songs which were at the top of, or climbing the charts. Davey’s
comments about whether it was a song his father liked/hated, his sister loved
or his mates were into, really helped form the characters in the story. As
music was a very important part of this era, these inclusions gave the story a
strong 60’s atmosphere as well as clearly showing the changing face of popular
culture.

Diary form is an intimate way to tell
someone’s story, but you do have to connect with the diarist for it to work
well. It wasn’t hard to connect with Davey. He is involved with family, a loyal
friend and a bit of a ‘lad’ - but he is also a complex character, very
compassionate and a thinker, trying to make sense of what life has thrown up.
After his brother Tom comes home from Vietnam – minus a leg courtesy of a land
mine – Davey has to tell his mother Tom is not coming back to live at home.

She said, ‘He’s not our Tom any more, is he?’

I
didn’t really know how to answer that. My Tom was probably always different
from her Tom. So I said, ‘I think he still loves us.’

The writing is very good. The people,
their motivations and their relationships, feel solid and realistic. There is a
good balance between social issues, Davey’s inner life and action in the pages
of his diary. There is also a good balance between the ups and the downs. While
some parts of life turn out great for Davey, other parts are very sad. It did
touch a chord with me and there were tears.

My
Australian Story is a really solid
series and a great way for teenagers and preteens to learn about different
periods in Australian history.

Fifteen-year-oldBeppo, an
indentured servant in Rome, is accused of murder. The only person who can help
him is one of the most celebrated artists of his day – Caravaggio.

Straight away I
had the scenario for this Young Adult novel in my mind: two protagonists - a
teenager on the run and a Renaissance artist. I was quickly swept into the
intrigue of medieval Italy.

Beppo’s mother has
died and he is indentured to a man with ‘the rough chiselled face of an
unfinished statue … a bloated pig of a master,’ who is in the wine trade - a
cover for the darker and illegal book trade.

When Beppo’s
master is murdered, Beppo is accused. He escapes the ‘polizia’with the help of
an acrobatic dwarf.

While on the run
through the backstreets of Rome, where children gamble and play archaic games
of tennis, Beppo stumbles into a street brawl. Caravaggio is defending himself
with a sword and mortally wounds his opponent.

Now two are on the
run. With the help of Caravaggio’s patron, the Cardinal, they escape to Naples.
Pursued by bounty hunters, Beppo is exiled from Rome and Caravaggio is given
the death penalty.

While this is a
fast-paced story of bandits, crossbows, swords, pirates and prison breaks, it
is also the story of how the great artists of the Renaissance worked. Beppo
becomes Caravaggio’s servant and learns of his craft as he purchases supplies
of ‘linen canvas and wood slats from the shipyard; chalk and walnut oil from
the apothecary; lead white from the smith; pigments from the dyer; and an
assortment of mirrors …’ Such detail adds layers of richness to the bones of
the narrative where, for the painting of a Lazarus scene, a dead body is
delivered – ‘A loosely wrapped corpse lay within. The linen shroud afforded a
glimpse of papery, grey skin.’

Caravaggio also
teaches Beppo about the finer arts of swordplay ‘thumb down, in, up, out’,
which stands him in good stead as he learns the skills needed to become a
squire and later, perhaps, a knight.

Just like
Shakespeare’s Renaissance play, Romeo and Juliet, with its swordplay and feisty
youth, Beppo falls in love with Dolcetta, the daughter of a courtesan. There’s
even a balcony-climbing scene where the forbidden romance culminates in Beppo
‘kissing her on the lips.’

With its twenty
short chapters, first person point of view and smattering of Italian words,
teenage readers will feel at one with the character of Beppo. A bit like asides in a play, Beppo’s innermost
thoughts are written in italics. This also keeps the reader in the moment and
within the action.

Author, Mark David
Smith, has written a swashbuckling novel that is sure to win the imaginations
of teen readers. As a form of epilogue, Smith provides historical notes about
Caravaggio. What a wonderful foray into life in medieval Italy. Indeed, I would
like to see this Italy that Smith has painted with such vivid imagery.

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

What does it take to be a great big dinosaur?
T-Rex knows. And he can teach little boys all about roaring, and stomping, and
eating. But maybe one little boy can teach T-Rex all about being a boy.

This imaginative romp takes the readers
through the activities which occupy a boy – and a dinosaur- over one fun day.

The text forms part of the appealing page
layout of this picture book, with changes of size and strength. The words
bounce among the colourful and humorous illustrations. I especially enjoyed the
page where the dinosaur discovers that there is more to food than just meat.

Inside the front cover is a realistic picture
of dinosaurs in the prehistoric era which is repeated at the back of the book
but with a young boy’s addition. The touches of tie-ins to the story are very
clever.

Can
a dinosaur really play soccer? Is a dinosaur any good at video games? Read this
playful picture book to find out. A great book for preschoolers, particularly
those with a love of dinosaurs.

Monday, 21 September 2015

Danny listens to the weather alert about Cyclone
Thelma and hopes it will not ruin his day off school. It is only graded a
Category One after all, no real threat. Gran is being a little over-anxious
with all her preparations. But due to a couple of ‘deals’ – which Danny is confident he will come out on top with –
he helps Gran tape the windows, prepare food and round up batteries.

Then, as Cyclone Thelma gains power, Danny and
his family are grateful for Gran’s intuition and action.

Cyclone
Fever is another title in the fabulous Australian Mates – Great Australian Yarns
series. Short chapters, easy to read and full colour illustrations which do not
diminish the strong and unique stories are a feature of all the titles in the
series. This story is about a natural disaster which is not uncommon in the
north of Australia.

Cyclone Fever is just as much about family and
community as it is about cyclones – the preparation, the storm itself, and the
aftermath.

Sally Morgan has written many great early
reader’s chapter books featuring indigenous families and communities which are
relevant to all Australians. This is another interesting, entertaining and
amusing story for junior readers.

Sunday, 20 September 2015

Daredevil Duck written and illustrated by Charlie Adler (NewSouth
Books)

HB RRP $21.99

ISBN
978-0-76245-456-3

Reviewed by Peta
Biggin

Meet Daredevil
Duck. He is the bravest duck in the
world. Well, at least he wants to be. In truth he is afraid of everything so all he
can do is dream of being brave while the other ducks make fun of him. Until one day he needs to actually be brave
and to his and everyone’s surprise he is.
From then on his life becomes very different because now, deep down, he
knows he is Daredevil Duck.

Daredevil Duck is the first picture book authored by English
illustrator Charlie Alder. It is a story
about facing and overcoming your fears and would be most suitable for
pre-school or early school-aged children.

Apart from being a
sweet and fun story that deals with an important life-lesson, this is visually
a very enjoyable book. Charlie Adler’s
illustrations are colourful and lively and children will love seeing how Daredevil
Duck discovers his true mettle. There is
also an interactive element with the inclusion of lift-the-flap, fold-out and
uneven pages at various points throughout the book. It would make a great read-aloud book but the
interesting presentation will also encourage young readers to flip through the
pages on their own.

Charlie Alder is
an English illustrator and coffee lover.
Her books include Toot! and Express Yourself.Daredevil
Duck is her first author/illustrated picture book. She lives in Devon, England with her husband
and young son who is the inspiration for her book. She can be found online at http://charliealder.com/.

Saturday, 19 September 2015

The Patchwork Picnic is
the first junior fiction title in the Lola’s Toy Box series, by the author of
picture books Tree and Parachute, Danny Parker. The chapters
are interspersed with charming illustrations by Guy Shields, who recently
worked on the redesign of literary magazine Kill
Your Darlings.

When
Lola’s mum is clearing out the family’s junk-crammed garden shed, Lola and her
brother Nick are asked if they would like to keep any of the unwanted objects.
Nick ‘pushed past her’ and immediately began to make his demands known, setting
the scene for a realistically turbulent sibling relationship.

Lola
sees magic in the jumble of old furniture in the shed’s shadows, and sets her
sights on a large wooden box. In order to escape domineering Nick, Lola and her
toy Buddy hop inside it. They emerge out of the box to find themselves on a
hillside where Buddy begins to talk, and a magical journey in a kingdom of toys
begins.

When
Lola learns of the battle between the Plastic Prince and the Great High Bear in
a place called Nevercalm, readers may recognise parallels with Lola’s own
struggles with Nick. Lola draws on an inner-strength to challenge a threatening
bear, and agrees to partake in a button test to prove to the toys she is
trustworthy. Her adventure demonstrates her problem-solving skills, something
readers may take heart from and be inspired to apply in their own lives.

Themes
of resilience, courage, loyalty and kindness emerge in this magical tale that
deals with issues many children may relate to. Lola is a strong female character
who shows it is possible to be kind and stand up for yourself at the same time.
And with a magic toy box now in her possession, there are more adventures in
store for Lola and Buddy – in fact, three more titles in
the series are already available.

Friday, 18 September 2015

The Fairy Ring
OR Elsie and Frances Fool the World by Mary Losure
(Walker Books)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN 9780763674953

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Mary Losure is the author of the brilliant
non-fiction work, Wild Boy: The Real Life
of the Savage of Aveyron. She’s back with another intriguing piece of
non-fiction for the 10+ year-old age groups, with the story of the two girls
who claimed to have seen and photographed the Cottingley fairies.

Frances Griffiths was nine years old when she moved
with her parents to Cottingley in Yorkshire to live with her cousin Elsie
Wright, who was almost sixteen. It was 1920 and her father left for the Great
War. Elsie had left school at thirteen and a half, and worked at a meaningless
job. She was a daydreamer, bad at school and always criticized by her highly
talented father. The only thing she was good at was drawing and painting. The
two became best friends.

Because Frances went to an exclusive school in
Bingley and not to the local one near her home, she never got on well with the
local children. She spent most of her time alone exploring the valley that ran
off their home and playing in the beck.

It is during one of these solitary jaunts that she
sees a little man about 18 inches tall dressed in green, walking along the
bank. Later she would see more of these little men, then fairies.

When she finally told Elsie and their parents, the
girls were teased mercilessly. They set out to prove them wrong by
photographing the fairies. How they went about it is unbelievable. So was born
one of the greatest hoaxes of the 20th Century.

This highly interesting book tells the story that
fooled many famous people into believing that the Cottingley fairies were real.
Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who had a passionate interest in the spirit world,
fairies and gnomes, and the Theosophical Society were drawn into a web of
deceit that was never confessed to till the girls were quite old.

Did Frances actually see something? Elsie’s part in
it all questions that. But her greatest
achievement in life may have been that she persuaded educated and famous
people, into believing that what they saw was real.

This is a great read and for anyone who loves
mysteries and non-fiction. Whether it was true or not is left to the reader to
decide.

Thursday, 17 September 2015

Here’s another sparkling and riveting Verity Sparks’
mystery. She’s my favourite heroine; a girl who is clever, optimistic,
fearless, logical and compassionate. She
has a sharp mind and several secret gifts.
The Scarlet Hand is set in
Castlemaine, Victoria, in the 1880s. Verity is now fifteen years old.

SP proposes to Drucilla, Verity’s governess in front
of everyone and she is so embarrassed that she goes to stay with the Leviny
family in Castlemaine for a while. Verity and family are also invited to stay
with Papa’s dear friend Nicky Petrov in Castlemaine. Secrets are revealed and
strange and unusual events awaken Verity’s curiosity, and her gifts once again
come into play.

During her stay, Verity sees a woman that looks
identical to the photo of her mother. Who is Della Parker and why is she
following Verity around? Della gives Verity a fan that belonged to her mother.
This starts a series of mysterious visions that Verity must examine, and a new
investigation begins.

Drucilla and Nicky’s wife Helen are abducted and
held for ransom. Who are the abductors and what significance does the scarlet
glove have? Verity’s gift is creating too many questions. Will she be able to
draw on her courage and gifts and shuffle the pieces into place; to sort out
the puzzle and save her friends?

As always, delightful morsels of information are
left to tantalise the reader. There is more than one story happening in each of
Verity’s books, which are joined together by some common thread. As Verity is
trying to solve her mystery, the reader is simultaneously trying to piece
together their own little puzzles.

Susan Green’s writing is crisp and sharp. Nothing
superfluous can be found. It’s fast-paced, with a strong narrative voice that
keeps the reader on their seat, turning pages. I can never put a Verity Sparks
book down unfinished. I’m always hooked from the first page. This thrilling
mystery adventure is ideal for the 10+ age group.

Wednesday, 16 September 2015

Ophelia:
Queen of Denmark written by Jackie French (Harper Collins) PBK RRP

$16.99 ISBN 9780732298524

Reviewed by
Sharon McGuinness

Following on
from her interpretation of Juliet Capulet, Jackie French now presents another
imaginative view of one of Shakespeare’s female characters – Ophelia from
‘Hamlet’.

Usually
presented as the tragic maiden betrothed to Prince Hamlet, French presents us
with an alternative view of Ophelia, which certainly proves a useful
accompaniment to Shakespeare’s play.

King Fortinbras’
ghost presents himself to six-year-old Ophelia and tells her how his kingdom
was lost to a man who tricked him into betting his kingdom on a sword fight. He
must now roam the world until avenged. ‘Revenge is a dish that sits bitter in
the stomach, even if the first taste is sweet.’

Fortinbras tells
Ophelia the qualities of a good queen and tells Ophelia that she would make a
good queen, thus sowing that desire within the girl. Ten years later she is on
a path to achieving this after the death of King Hamlet and in her developing
relationship with Queen Gertrude and Gertrude’s son, Hamlet.

When Hamlet
discovers his new stepfather Uncle Claudius murdered his father he is set on a
path of revenge, enhanced by his pretended madness – a cover to protect his own
life.

Ophelia is
unsure of Hamlet’s sanity and his love and a series of deaths occur, beginning
with Ophelia’s father Polonius, the Lord Chancellor.

If Hamlet is
able to feign madness to divert his suspicious uncle, then Ophelia can do the
same – even faking her own death.

With the deaths
of Hamlet, Ophelia’s brother Laertes, the king and queen, we are left with a
final scene of hope – of Ophelia becoming Queen of Denmark after all with the
new King Fortinbras. The story has turned full circle, the throne restored.

With
Shakespeare’s play as the background, French overlays another story, one which
celebrates the ingenuity and power of women. The book resonates with history
and within it French weaves titbits of cheese recipes and references.

This is a
thoroughly enjoyable read, which lends itself easily to student book club or
class study. Readers of I Am Juliet and
Ophelia will certainly look forward
to French’s continuation of the series in 2016 with The Diary of William Shakespeare, Gent and Third Witch in 2016.

Tuesday, 15 September 2015

Poor Emu was having
a Halloween party but couldn’t seem to come up with some scary ideas. Luckily,
Cockatoo overheard his dismay and rallied the other animals to help.

With Echidna
dressed as Dracula, Koala as Frankenstein’s monster and Kangaroo as a zombie,
the party was sure to be a success.

As a team, the
animals set to work making a witches brew, dips with pretend flies, cutting out
paper ghosts and bats to ensure a thoroughly scary party.

David Cornish’s
brilliant illustrations are the perfect complement to this rhyming tale.

It
gives an Australian flavour to a usually American holiday and will be a hit in
the lead up to Halloween. The party game and craft ideas enjoyed by the animals
could also be replicated easily, should families or even a class decide to hold
their own Halloween party.

Sunday, 13 September 2015

The little book
of Australia’s big things written by Samone Bos, illustrated by
Alice Oehr (Chirpy Bird/Hardie Grant Egmont)

HB
RRP $19.95

ISBN
9781760125547

Reviewed
by Liz Ledden

The little book
of Australia’s big things offers primary school-aged readers a
little bit of everything, from facts and jokes to recipes and craft activities.
It casts a spotlight on ten of Australia’s beloved ‘big things’, spanning
tourist sites from the better known Big Banana to the more obscure Big Penguin
(which is actually found in a Tasmanian town called Penguin, who knew?!).

This
is a book readers can easily dip in and out of. It is divided into sections for
each ‘big thing’, containing a photo of the real thing, illustrative
depictions, and a map of Australia marking its location. There’s a brief
rundown of key facts, perhaps a joke or two, and then the interactive fun
begins.

Each
‘big thing’ has a page containing a pop-out picture to cut out and assemble.
It’s a shame these aren’t perforated, as it means chopping into a beautifully
designed book. The jacket of the book contains a panoramic scene of Australia
where the pop-out ‘big things’ can be pasted. Other fun activities within the
pages include instructions on how to teach a galah to talk, and how to grow
your own pineapple from an old pineapple top (hint: much patience is
required!).

Readers
will delight in the vibrant illustrations and fun-packed pages on this most
endearing Australian topic, all things ‘big’. If children have visited one of
the sites they will no doubt love to learn more about it, and for those they
haven’t seen, requests for road trips may ensue. As the book mentions, there
are over 150 ‘big things’ in Australia, so there’s sequel potential for this
highly engaging non-fiction title.

Saturday, 12 September 2015

Suri would appear to be an
orphan living in an orphanage in a walled town. A much taller child than her
counterparts, she is friendless but finds comfort as she brushes the stones of
the encompassing wall with her fingertips. ‘The wall was Suri’s only friend and
the touch of the stones gave her warmth.’

One day, finding herself
taller, Lucy finally sees over the wall. It is then that one of the orphans,
Eva, befriends her and asks Suri to describe what is beyond the walls of the
town. What Suri describes is not written by revealed by Ottley’s exquisite
painted illustrations. There is a golden arch, a peacock, butterflies, a
harbour filled with ships and much more. Now that she can see beyond into
another world, Suri is finally befriended by the orphans and continues with her
storytelling. Towards the end of the book a soldier says to Suri, ‘They will
find out, you know.’ Who the ‘they’ is remains a mystery, but surely it must be
the higher powers that guard the town.

The theme of this book
would seem to be that one becomes popular and a leader by having a wider vision
of the world. And that this can be a threat to some who would prefer the lesser
beings to remain imprisoned. The only way out of imprisonment is to see beyond,
into the future. One wonders, though, would a child reader understand this?
What would a small child make of this book, one wonders.

What does make this book
memorable are the illustrations. When the setting is inside the imprisoned
(walled) world, the mood of the watercolour pictures is gloomy, but the
artist’s palette sings with colour and detail when Suri’s visions are revealed.
Towards the end of the book the children hear a booming sound – perhaps it is a
signal of disaster to come; it’s difficult to imagine what it might be and
there is nothing to indicate what it is. In the final page, Suri simply
continues describing the world beyond.

It’s also difficult to tell
what age group this book is targeted towards, but the reading level indicates
that a child 8+ years ought to be able to read it.

Friday, 11 September 2015

It’s morning. The childcare centre is a-buzz with
activity as parents drop of their children and head off to work. Lunchboxes and
backpacks are handed over. Hugs are exchanged and goodbyes said. It’s the most
hectic time of day because mum goes to work.

But where do mums go? What work occupies them all
day between dropping off and picking up their little ones again? What’s more,
what do children do throughout the day while their mums work at all these
important roles? We get a look into the lives of so many different mums at work
or study, juxtaposed with all the activities that fill a child’s day at
childcare.

This book is ideal for children from 3 years old and
up will be entertainment for every child that has asked their mum what she does
at work. Maybe they can find their mum’s job among the many here. Mums also
get an overview of their child’s hours away from them.

Themes cover learning skills, the importance of
play, friendship, interaction with others and more. The entire book is alive
with curiosity and discovery due to the detailed illustrations and their
layout. These are beautifully designed and presented, and created by mixed
media, including watercolour, coloured pencil and collage. The end pages are
eye-catching. These too, can be a source of name-the-picture play.

Mum, Goes to
Work should
be in all homes with children, schoolrooms and libraries. It will generate
lively discussion between adult and child about working mothers in general and
their roles, particularly in classes of pre-schoolers and first graders.

Thursday, 10 September 2015

Eleven-year-old
Stevie doesn’t feel like he belongs in the Minecraft world. He’s very good at building or fighting – even
though his father is great at these things -- a legend, in fact. Then one day, Stevie discovers a strange
portal. Stepping through, he finds
himself in a new and weird world, our world.
He meets Maison, a bullied girl his own age who loves to build and
create. Stevie wants to learn all about
this new world but when Maison takes him to school they discover that the
portal has allowed more than just Stevie to come through. The school is getting attacked by zombies,
creepers and giant spiders from the Minecraft world. Together they must save
the school and this world from the monsters that have been unleashed.

Escape from the Overworld is an unofficial Minecraft adventure by American
author Danica Davidson. It’s a fun, fast-paced chapter book that leverages off
the hugely successful computer game.

The characters are
likeable and easy to relate to, both dealing with feelings of rejection,
inadequacy and a sense of loneliness.
This, in part, is what helps them to bridge the obvious gap between
them, become friends and work together when danger presents itself. It is this friendship that also what helps
them confront and deal with their own individual problems and become stronger.

While enjoyable
just on its surface there are several sub-plots around bullying, friendship and
acceptance. Although not explored to
their fullest extent, they do provide authenticity and some depth to the story.

There is a lot of
explanation throughout the book to reduce the need for an intimate
understanding of Minecraft, but it would certainly be an advantage if the
reader was familiar with the game. On
the other hand, for the young enthusiast, this is a successful blend of the
game and an exciting adventure story that also touches on important issues
facing kids today.

Danica Davidson is
a professional writer from the US who has written for about fifty different
magazines, newspapers and websites. Escape
from the Overworld is her first unofficial Minecraft book with a sequel, Attack on the Overworld, currently available for pre-order.
She can be found online at: http://www.danicadavidson.com/

Wednesday, 9 September 2015

There is one general theme in this most perfect and
stunning book. That is that a book can be your greatest companion in life no
matter what. It can fill the empty spaces in your life. It can take you to
places far beyond reality. It never lets you down. You can always turn to it
when you want or need some special company. In all your varying moods, it’s the
one constant thing.

I could wax lyrical forever but words fail me. They
sit before my eyes but won’t come out through my fingers.

This book is a rare and grand visual feast in every
sense. It is magnificent in design, layout, breathtaking detailed
illustrations, content, text and theme. It is a collector’s book; a book
lover’s dream.

I have to share what is written about the author.
“David Miles makes books for a living. He reads books, writes books, sells
books, thinks about books, drives to books, sleeps to books (but doesn’t eat
books)”. Only a person like this could
have created a book like this. This is his second children’s picture book. But
it took a special kind of artist to translate all that he had to say into
pictures.

About the illustrator: “Natalie Hoopes was born with
a head full of ideas. She decided that the only way to get them out was to be a
painter.” Evidence of their love of what they do is here, documented forever.
It’s available to all those bibliopoles whose heart pounds to the sound of
words and turning pages as mine does. This is the most creative book I’ve held
for years.